The Power of the Human Will
by plshade
Summary: After arriving at his relative's home, Harry decides that he can no longer just react to the actions of Voldemort. He needs to know what exactly is the Dark Lord's plans and decides on a course of action that will affect him profoundly. Will Harry be able
1. Prologue

Spoilers: All five books will be touch on throughout the story.  
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. In other words; Don't want them. Don't need them. Couldn't afforded them if I did.  
Feedback: Please leave a review whether good or bad. One cannot improve without knowing all the facts.

**Prologue**

Since arriving at his relatives home two days ago, Harry Potter had not left his room; other than to occasionally use the bathroom. He purposefully avoided his relatives, opting to stare blankly at the walls of his bedroom whenever his uncle or aunt stormed into his room. Harry was also not getting much sleep either because, shortly after closing his eyes, he would end up watching the scene of his Godfather's death replay over and over again. The dreams coupled with the lack of sleep left Harry little energy, or desire, to deal with the other occupants of the house.

At first his aunt and uncle screamed and threatened for him to do his chores or some other menial task but Harry just sat there, oblivious to them. It soon became clear, even to them, that something was wrong with Harry but they were torn about what to do.

On the one hand, they didn't want their neighbors finding out about the aberration of a nephew that lived with them during the summer so taking him to a hospital was out of the question. Even if that wasn't a concern and they did take Harry to see a doctor, then they would have to answer to those dreadful freaks that watch out for the boy. No. In the end, they had decided to leave Harry alone and go on about their life like he wasn't even there.

Then the sudden sound of a car door slamming shut snapped Harry out of his reverie. Looking around, he noticed that it was morning and the sounds of birds could be heard outside his window. With a deep sigh, Harry got off the bed and trudged over to his trunk and pulled out the pieces of the two way mirror that Sirius had given him.

Harry looked into the reflective surface one of the larger pieces, "Sirius? Can you hear me?"

Silence was the only answer that Harry received. One lone tear fell down his left cheek, hitting the edge of the mirror. With another sigh, Harry placed the pieces back inside his trunk and moved to the window. Outside, life was in full gear. Small animals scurried about, avoiding the children that were out playing as well as the many adults were enjoying the almost perfect morning.

Harry felt old compared to everyone else. He also felt tired. So very tired. Especially from the guilt that came when the people around him kept getting hurt, because of him. First was his parents, then it was Cedric, and finally Sirius and his friends when they followed him into the Department of Mysteries. Harry sighed heavily but before he could fall deeper into his depression, a loud hoot echoed inside his room. Looking back, Harry saw that his beloved owl was anxious to escape her cage.

"Hedwig," he said fondly as he opened the cage. "I need you to do something for me."

The snowy owl hopped onto Harry's arm and then jumped up onto his shoulder where she gently nipped his ear. Harry then pulled out a sheet of paper and wrote a brief note. He folded it up and showed it to his owl. Hedwig promptly glided down to the bed and raised a leg, waiting for her master to attached the letter. Harry stared a Hedwig for a second before coming to a difficult decision.

"Please deliver this to Ron. And Hedwig," Harry stared into the bird's large eyes. "I want you to stay there and do not come back here for any reason."

Hedwig immediately started flapping her wings and hooting her displeasure about leaving him alone, but Harry ignored her protests and pressed on.

"I need you to go there, girl. I can't feel ..." Harry paused, closing his eyes. He cocked his head to the side, as if he were trying to listen to someone that wasn't there. "Voldemort is too calm. Our fight at the Department of Mysteries stopped him from getting that damn prophesy and he should be furious. I should feel something, anything from him but there has been nothing."

Harry's eyes snapped open and held the owl in his emerald gaze. "Please Hedwig," he pleaded. "just do what I ask and go to Ron"

Hedwig settled down, her large eyes still locked onto her master's. Then she shook her head, breaking the contact and jumped off the desk and landed on the windowsill. From there she turned around and hooted mournfully at her master one last time before taking off through the open window.

Harry walked over to the window and watched as Hedwig's form grew smaller and smaller. When he could no longer see her, Harry moved back over to his bed and sat down. He had to do something. He had to find out what Voldemort was planning and there was only one person that knew the Dark Lord's plans. That was Voldemort himself and Harry could only think of one way to find out.

With that thought, Harry laid down on his bed and closed his eyes.

* * *

It was now late at night. Only the sporadic sounds of nocturnal animals as they moved about in the darkness broke the quiet atmosphere that blanketed Privet Drive. Unseen, a lone figure currently sat on the roof of the Dursey's car, watching the residence from under an Invisibility Cloak. 

Suddenly there was a flash of light that caught the figure unaware. So bright was the flash that it temporarily blinded the person. The figure cast the cloak off, revealing her identity as Nymphadora Tonks. She swore under her breath as she waited for her eyesight to clear. It took a couple of minutes for Tonks to be able to see clearly but once she could, she run up to the front door of the house. It was locked but a quick _Alohomora_ spell remedied that. Once the door was open, Tonks ran up the stairs shouting Harry's name.

The commotion woke up the Dursleys but Tonks just ignored them as she threw open the door that lead to Harry's bedroom. Once she crossed the threshold into the room, she felt a sudden shift in the very core of her being. This shift left her feeling slightly sluggish as a sense of lethargy settled over her. Tonks shook her head, clearing the cobwebs out that were forming in her mind and took her first real look at the room. She immediately moved over to Harry's bed, wand out before her as she cast a spell. Then she cast a second one. The results of both spells shocked and amazed her. Quickly, she reached into her pocket for the emergency portkey that all Order members carried and activated it.

* * *

"Albus Dumbledore!" 

That shriek erupting from the scorched fireplace startled the elder Wizard. Putting down the document that he was reading, Dumbledore walked over to the fireplace and answered.

"Good evening Molly. What can I do..." Dumbledore trailed off as he saw the mixture of fear and fury in the Weasley matriarch's face. "What is it Molly?"

"You must check on Harry," Molly demanded. "Please Albus, I fear that something terrible has happened."

Before Dumbledore could ask Molly about what exactly she meant, a body suddenly appeared out of thin air, into the room, and landed hard on top of his desk. The person quickly scrambled off the desk, scattering papers everywhere in the process and revealing the person's identity as a young Auror by the name of Nymphadora Tonks. Her normally pink hair now cycled continuously through many different colors. She frantically scanned the room until her eyes landed on Dumbledore.

"Professor Dumbledore," Tonks gasped, fear emanating from her eyes. "Harry's disappeared!"

tbc...  



	2. Chapter One

Spoilers: All five books will be touch on throughout the story.   
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. In other words; Don't want them. Don't need them. Couldn't afforded them if I did.   
Feedback: Please leave a review whether good or bad. One cannot improve without knowing all the facts.

**Chapter One**

Leading several Wizards and Witches, Albus Dumbledore stormed into the home of the Vernon and Petunia Dursley. Completely ignoring the sputtering aunt and uncle of Harry's, Dumbledore proceeded up the stairs to the Harry's bedroom. Once there, he paused to stare at the numerous locked on the door for a heartbeat before opening it. With the now crowded hallway behind him, Dumbledore stood silently in the doorway as he took in every little detail about the small room.

The small room was spotless with every item in it's apparent place. Harry's trunk was sitting in the corner of the room closest to the window. The bed was made but there was an indentation in the top blanket indicating that someone, probably Harry himself, had been lying on the bed at one point. On the small table next to the bed sat a thick book and a pair of eye glasses.

Worry flashed in Dumbledore's eyes as he stepped into the room. Motioning for everyone to stay outside, the Headmaster walked around the small room. His eyes roamed about as his fingers lightly trailed over the bed covers. He then picked up the book off the table, recognizing the photo album that held several wizarding pictures of his parent and friends. When Dumbledore opened it however, a cloud of dust was released from it's pages. The old Wizard sneezed once and then waved the rest of the dust away with a flick of his hand. His eyes widened slightly as he began to leaf through the blank pages in the book.

"Albus?"

Dumbledore turned to find Mad-Eye Moody standing just inside the doorway. Behind him were Minerva McGonagall and Remus Lupin. The Auror's ever-moving magical eye was strangely calm, as it moved in tandem with the man's normal eye. That was almost as unsettling a sight for the elder Wizard as was the photo album in his hand.

"Are you feeling well, Moody?"

"This room is dead," was the Auror's gruff reply.

"What do you mean?" Dumbledore asked, dreading to have his suspicions confirmed.

Moody shuddered visibly. "There's no magic in this room. Actually it's more than just the room, the whole house is magic dead."

"That is what I feared," Dumbledore softly said. "When Tonks first informed me of Harry's disappearance, she had mentioned trying to cast a couple of different spells in hopes of finding Harry but to her surprise, both spells failed completely. I did not fully understand the implications of this until we entered this house. I could feel the difference the moment we walked through the door. Something has literally drained all the magic out of the structure, including the wards."

"The wards," McGonagall whispered in fear.

"Yes Minerva," Dumbledore sighed. "The blood protection wards that had kept Harry safe during the summer these many years, are no longer active."

"I don't care about the wards," Remus broke into the conversation. His body was trembling with restrained fury as he pushed his way into the room. "Where is Harry!"

Before Dumbledore could answer, he noticed a thin object sticking out slightly from under the pillow. Setting the book onto the bed, he reached down and pulled out a slender piece of polished wood that everyone recognized immediately.

"Albus, is that ..." McGonagall trailed off.

"Indeed, this is Harry's wand," Dumbledore answered softly. As he rolled the wand in his fingers, he adopted a thoughtful look. "and I'm afraid that the Phoenix feather that was the magical core of it, no longer exists."

As if to prove the point, Dumbledore turned to the small table by the bed and lightly tapped one end of the wand on the wooden surface. That slight pressure caused the wand to snap into two pieces, leaving the rest of the room's occupants stunned. Then Remus quickly opened Harry's trunk, digging through the clothes and books until he found what he was looking for. He pulled forth a large piece of material, only to have it dissolve into nothingness in his hands.

"That was Harry's Invisibility Cloak," Remus said hoarsely.

Dumbledore nodded, "And just like his wand and photo album on the bed, it too has been robbed of it's magical properties."

Remus looked up to the Headmaster of Hogwarts, shock written all over his face. "What in the name of Merlin could have caused this?"

"Truthfully Remus," Dumbledore looked around the room once more before turning back the werewolf. "I have no idea."

Remus looked at the room one more time before turning abruptly and pushing past Moody and McGonagall. The Werewolf then elbowed the blustering Vernon Dursley out of the way as he reached the top of the stairs,

"Where are you going, Remus?" Dumbledore asked as he moved to follow.

"To find Harry," was the only reply Dumbledore received as Remus ran down the stairs and out the front door.

"You should stop him Albus," McGonagall spoke up. "There's no telling what kind of trouble he could find in his state of mind."

"I'm afraid that Remus is the least pressing of our problems."

Albus ignored the questioning looks directed at him and followed Remus out the door. The others also exited the house to find Dumbledore watching Remus, as he came out from behind the house only to begin pacing around the yard. It was obvious the everyone that Remus was becoming desperate to find any clue as to what happened to his best friend's only son. Dumbledore merely stepped in front of Remus, stopping the former Professor as he waved his wand over the front lawn. Glittering motes of light blanketed the area revealing several sets of footprints.

"Now, if I'm not mistaken, those belong to young Mr. Potter." Dumbledore spoke, pointing at the smaller, but brightly glowing prints that lead out into the street. "We should follow them. Hopefully we'll find Harry soon, safe and sound."

However once they left the property, everyone's hope at finding Harry died because the footprints that they were following, completely disappeared.

* * *

Ron sat in his bedroom at the Burrow, staring blankly at the folded piece of parchment in his hands. He was in the middle of doing chores when Hedwig first arrived, and was very happy to see the snowy owl come through the window but that did not last long once he read the letter. Ron opened the letter and let his eye glide over the rough writing once again.

_Ron, _

_I've come to a decision about my life. I can't keep running off half-cocked with  
little or no information and having someone die for my lack of knowledge. It has also  
been proven that I can't trust our Professors to provide the needed help in that regard,  
so I have decided to take matters into my own hands. I need information that others  
have been reluctant to give. So I got to thinking, if I can't at least get the information  
that I need second hand, then maybe it's time to take it straight from the horse's mouth,  
so to speak. _

_Don't try to send Hedwig back. I've forbidden her to ever return to this Hellhole.  
Please give my apologies to Hermione and the rest of your family. You all have meant  
so much to me these past couple of years. Also don't worry, either I find what I need  
or it simply won't matter anymore. _

_Take care of Hedwig for me.  
Harry_

Ron crumpled up the letter and threw it against the wall. As soon as he had showed the letter to his mother, she had immediately fire-called Dumbledore. At that point, Ginny walked into the room wondering what the commotion was about. Ron remembered her trying to ask him what was wrong but he was too much in shock to answer.

Once Mrs. Weasley was done talking with Dumbledore, she told her youngest children that Harry was indeed missing but they were to stay at home and not to go looking for their friend. That caused Ron's anger to spike dangerously, snapping him out of his lethargy. His best friend was about to or already did something very stupid and instead of trying to find him, he was expected to just sit here and do nothing. Ron could not remember a time where he was more furious with his mother than at that moment. In a feat of wisdom, he decided that instead of saying something that he was sure that he would regret later, he marched away from his mother and up to his room.

Ron was startled out of his memories by a light knock on the door. Looking up, he found his sister peering at him through the open door. "C'mon in Ginny," he said with a sigh.

Ginny slowly entered the room, reaching down to pick up the crumpled letter that laid not for from the door. She looked at her brother with a question in her eyes. Ron just shrugged, then dropped back onto his bed and stared at the ceiling. Ginny carefully opened up the wrinkled letter, frowning as she read the contents. Once she finished, she turned to her brother with a look of bewilderment.

"He went after Voldemort? By himself?" Ginny's voice climbed with each word. "Is he MAD!"

Ron winced at the mention of Voldemort's name but simply shrugged.

Ginny plopped down hard onto the wood floor, dazed while her brother continued counting the cracks in the ceiling. They stayed where they were for the next hour, each worried in their own way about Harry, unaware of the conversation taking place downstairs between their parents, Remus and Tonks.

* * *

"What do you mean, there's no trace?" Mrs. Weasley demanded, glaring at the three other people sitting at the table. Mr. Weasley was at the head of the table while on his left sat a very tired looking Remus with Tonks next to him. They had just spent the last couple of hours searching the town of Little Whinging for any sign of Harry.

"From what Dumbledore said," the young Auror Tonks spoke up. "They tried every trick that they knew to find out where Harry was but they found nothing."

"What about his Aunt and Uncle? Do they know anything?" Mr. Weasley asked.

"No," Tonks answered.

"According to his Aunt, Harry had been basically catatonic since they brought him home," Remus told them. "Petunia said that she had checked on Harry only to find him asleep before going to bed herself. Shortly after that, Hurricane Tonks came blowing through the house and woke them up."

"Hey!" Tonks shouted indignantly, getting up from the table. "Excuse me but I was a bit more worried about Harry than I was about the muggles waking up."

Remus stood up and placed a hand on Tonks' shoulder to calm her. "That's not what I meant." Then he grabbed both of her shoulders and turned Tonks to face him. "And it's not your fault."

Tonks twisted out of Remus; grasp and slammed a fist down on the table. "I should have know that something was wrong. I had not seen Harry at all during my shift and I should have checked up on him."

"I'm afraid that is something that we're all guilty of, Ms. Tonks," a gentle voice spoke up from behind them. Everyone turned around to find Dumbledore's head floating in the fireplace. "If you must blame yourself, please do not believe that the blame is yours solely."

"Albus," Mr. Weasley stood up and approached the fireplace. "Have you determined what has happened to Harry?"

"No," Dumbledore shook his head. "There was no sign of forced entry, other than Ms. Tonks', and there was no evidence of mental manipulation of the Durseys. Whatever happened to Harry was swift and powerful. There's no explanation for what was discovered in his room."

"What about the wards? Why did they fail?" Tonks asked. "How could they fail?"

Dumbledore closed his eyes and sighed. "There's no way to truly know but it looks like the wards were drained of their power from within the house."

"Could You-Know-Who have smuggled an artifact into the house without our knowing it?" Remus queried.

"That was an idea that came up but a part of the ward was set up to detect magical signatures and the only one that was recorded before Tonks entered, was Harry's." Dumbledore replied. "That means that if some object were placed inside the home, it either arrived with Harry or a muggle would have had to do it before hand."

"Why a muggle?" Mrs. Weasley spoke up.

"Because Molly, the wards had not been breached." Dumbledore explained. "It would have to have been someone that did not know or hate Harry, as the core of the wards are set up around emotions and intent. Any Wizard or Witch that hated Harry and wanted to hurt or kill him, would not be able to enter the house."

"What about Snape?" Remus came closer to the fire. "Does he know anything about what happened Does You-Know-Who have Harry?"

"As far as Snape can discern, Voldemort does not have Harry." Dumbledore shook his head. "The confusing thing about all this, Snape said that there was no Death Eater activity planned that night. What's even more curious is that since that night, Voldemort has isolated himself from his followers, except for Malfoy and Lestrange."

Dumbledore disappeared from the fire for a second before returning. "I have just received more company so I will have to cut this short. I just wanted to let you know what I had found out." The old Wizard's forehead crinkled up in thought. "Maybe it best if you return to Padfoot's place in a couple of days. I'll let the Grangers know of the change in plans."

Then the fire winked out, leaving an empty fireplace. The four adults glanced at each other for a second before Mrs. Weasley returned to her cooking, obviously trying to keep herself busy instead of taking her worry and guilt out on her husband and friends. Tonks and Mr. Weasley sat back down and started making plans, leaving Remus standing. Then he grabbed his stuff and paused in the middle of the room.

"Where're you going, Remus?" Tonks called out.

The werewolf looked over his shoulder. "I need to check on something." Then he disapperated with a pop.

"I'm worried about him," Mr. Weasley said.

"Me too," Tonks agreed. Remus had been too quiet in her opinion, even for the reticent werewolf. She just hoped that Harry would show up soon, before Remus got himself into trouble.

* * *

"Now," Dumbledore spoke as he turned to his visitor. "How may I be of help?"

The Minister of Magic strode up to the Headmaster's desk with three Aurors trailing behind him, and demanded, "Where is Harry Potter?"

"May I ask why you wish to know his location?"

"Because of the enormous spike of his personal magical energy that was registered." Fudge began pacing back and forth. "Look Dumbledore, my people tell me that the Dursey's home has been render magically inert. They tell me that such a swift and complete magical depletion of this magnitude should not be possible." The Minister stopped pacing. "I have questions that need answers."

"Please believe me when I say this Minister," Dumbledore began. "I do not have the answers you are looking for. I also do not have Harry."

"What? Where is he?"

"That I do not know," Dumbledore leaned back in his chair.

Fudge was flabbergasted, "Surely you must have some idea of where the boy is."

"I am looking into it, even as we speak. Now I really must get back to my duties, if you don't mind."

Fudge bristled visibly at the obvious dismissal. He then turned on his heel and marched out of Dumbledore's office, motioning the Aurors to follow as he passed them by. Once the door closed behind them, Dumbledore sighed loudly. He needed to Harry and soon. Opening a draw to his right, he pulled out a copy of the last letter that Harry sent the Weasleys. Quickly his eyes locked onto the part of the message that worried him the most.

_ "So I got to thinking, if I can't at least get the second hand information that I  
need, then maybe it's time to take it straight from the horse's mouth, so to speak."_

It had hurt to read that Harry no longer trusted him, and by extension, the Hogwarts faculty. It spoke volumes of the mistakes that he had made over the years, especially this last one. Dumbledore had hoped that Harry would eventually come to understand why he had withheld certain information from him but apparently Sirius' death had hit Harry harder than the boy had let on.

Dumbledore sighed once again, feeling the weight of his many years. He had a good idea about what Harry meant by that last part but he prayed that he was wrong.

Yes, he definitely needed to find Harry as soon as possible.

tbc...  



	3. Chapter Two

Spoilers: All five books will be touch on through out the story. 

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. In other words; Don't want them. Don't need them. Couldn't afforded them if I did.

Feedback: Please leave a review whether good or bad. One cannot improve without knowing all the facts.

**Chapter Two**

It had been four days since Harry Potter disappeared from his home in Surrey. Four days where Albus Dumbledore used every means at his disposal to search for the young Wizard -- with no results. He had spread the Order of the Phoenix across the Europe once it was clear that Harry was nowhere of Surrey. To say that the elder Wizard was worried was an understatement.

The only bright spot in this was that there was almost zero Death Eater activity during Harry's absence. But if Albus was true to himself, he could not say which troubled him more right now; Harry's absence or Voldemort's inactivity.

Dumbledore sighed, his eyes inexorably drawn to the two pieces of this wood that sat near the corner of his desk. Picking up one of the pieces, he twirled it in his fingers, mindful of fragility of the former wand. Fawlkes trilled mournfully behind him, much like the Phoenix did when Dumbledore first brought the remains of Harry's wand into his office. The Phoenix immediately launched into the air and flashed into a ball of fire, the sign of the way that Phoenix travel. Not more than five seconds had passed before Fawlkes reappeared on his perch. The fiery bird gave Dumbledore a sad look before ducking his head beneath his wing.

"Is the boy dead?" Dumbledore asked himself. "No! I can't let myself think like that. Besides if Voldemort had managed to kill Harry, he would have put the boy on display for the entire Wizarding world to see. No, Harry is still alive."

A soft chime echoed in the room. Dumbledore looked at the small crystal ball sitting on the left side of his desk. The image of his Transfiguration Professor appeared inside the misty depths of the artifact. Looking up to the door, he waited a couple of seconds before speaking.

"Please come in, Minerva."

The door opened and the Head of Gryffindor entered. She firmly closed the door behind her and quietly sat down in one of the chairs in front of his desk. When she finally looked up at him, Dumbledore could see the fatigue and worry emanating from her eyes.

"Has there been any word, Albus?" McGonagall asked.

"No, I'm afraid not." he replied, setting down the broken piece of Harry's wand, "No one has reported being able to find Harry. Nor has there been any headway in trying to determine what exactly happened at Privet Drive."

"Has Severus found out if You-Know-Who has Harry?"

"As far as he can tell, no. Severus has not even seen or heard from Voldemort since Harry disappeared," Dumbledore leaned back in his chair, his face pensive. "Does one have any connection to the other? I don't know but if you remember what Harry told the Weasleys in his letter, there can be no doubt that something happened between the two."

"That brings up another question that I had. If Harry has indeed sought out You-Know-Who, how was he able to slip away without alerting the Order members watching his home?"

"That is the second most pressing question before us, his current location being the first," Dumbledore became thoughtful for a moment. "Perhaps it is time to include Harry's friends in this."

"What do you mean?"

"Well the Weasleys are at Grimmauld Place now and Miss Granger is due to be joining them in two days time," the Headmaster stood up and headed for the door.

"An then what, Albus." McGonagall asked.

"Then hopefully with their help, we'll be able to figure out the why and how of Harry's disappearance." Dumbledore answered as he left his office with McGonagall trailing behind him.

* * *

Remus stalked his way through the hall of Hogwarts. His destination was the Headmaster's office but he stopped a short distance away from the entrance when a faint sound tickled the edge of his heightened hearing. Turning around in the hallway, he strained his hearing to locate where the sound came from. 

What sounded like a faint scrapping noise, echoed lightly in the empty hallway. Remus padded softly down the right side of the hall, taking great pains to remain silent. Suddenly there was a loud grinding sound of stone moving against stone, causing the Werewolf to jump from a momentary bout of fright. Twisting around, he realized that the sound was from the gargoyle guarding the Headmaster's office moving. Dumbledore and McGonagall soon stepped out from behind the stone statue. All thoughts of unknown sounds left Remus as he walked over to the two.

"Ah, Remus. Good Evening." Dumbledore spoke up as the Werewolf approached.

"Albus. Minerva." Remus responded, nodding to each in turn.

"What brings you here, Remus?" McGonagall asked.

"I just came from seeing some of my more shadier contacts," Remus began explaining. "I was trying to see if there was any information available about any plans that the Death Eaters might be cooking up."

"And what have you learned?" Dumbledore queried.

"Strangely enough, nothing."

"Nothing?" McGonagall was surprised.

"Exactly," Remus said. "I could find no leads on any possible Death Eater activity whatsoever. It's almost as if all of them went to ground and are hiding."

"What could this mean, Albus?" McGonagall questioned the Headmaster.

"I am not sure," Dumbledore answered, stroking his beard in thought. "This just could be the calm before the storm or perhaps something much more simple. Either way it might be a good idea to have Miss Granger join the Weasleys sooner than planned. Please see to it, Minerva."

"Of course, Albus. I'll see to it right away." McGonagall answered and then walked away.

The two men watched McGonagall disappeared into the dark hallway. Dumbledore then turned in the opposite direction and started walking. "Now Remus, I was just heading down to the kitchens for an evening snack. Would you care to join me and discuss what you found out tonight?"

"Certainly Headmaster." the werewolf replied, letting the elder Wizard lead the way.

* * *

Professor McGonagall apparated to a safe location near the Granger home. After transfiguring her robe into a dress that the muggles would not take special notice of, she carefully walked towards her student's house. The neighborhood was strangely quiet. Oh there were people going on about their business at this time of day but she was an Animagus. Her form of that of a cat, gave her a unique appreciation of the sounds of nature. The rustling of leaves as bird flew from branch to branch or a scrambling sounds of small animals moving on the ground. 

She could not hear any animals, birds, or even insects.

McGonagall tried to extend her senses as she made her way to the Granger's front door. Once there, she pulled her concerns about the lack of natural sounds in the area to the back of her mind and knocked on the door.

* * *

Hermione was lying on her bed, her fifth year spell book spread out before her, when there was a knock at her bedroom door. Sitting up on the bed, Hermione called out, "Come in." 

The door opened to reveal her mother. Hermione was about to ask if dinner was ready when she saw the beginning signs of worry in her mother's face. It was small to start with, only a slight creasing of her forehead but it was there.

"What is wrong, Mum?"

Mrs. Granger stepped into her daughter's room. "A Professor from your school is downstairs. She said that she needs to talk to you, well all of us, urgently."

"Alright," Hermione said nervously. She closed up her books and got off her bed and followed her mother, all the while worried about what this could mean. Had they found Harry? Have there been more attacks? Has there been threats against her family? Hermione's feeling of worry multiplied when she saw Professor McGonagall waiting for her. Even with the state of the Wizarding World, a little part of her was insecure enough to worry that this was about her test scores, since she had not received her OWL scores yet. What if her teacher was here to tell her that she had failed her subjects?

"Hello Hermione," McGonagall said, "I hope your summer has been uneventful so far?"

"I failed my OWLs, didn't I," Hermione blurted out in her nervousness.

McGonagall was started for a moment. That outburst was the last thing she expected to hear from her prized student. She gave Hermione a motherly chuckle and shook her head. "No child, you did not fail. I will refrain from telling you what you got as I'm sure that you will find out in a couple of weeks when the scores are officially sent out. I can however tell you that you did very well."

Hermione blushed faintly from the high praise from her Professor but was relieved. With that concern calmed, her other worries came back to the forefront of her mind.

"Is there any news of Harry?" Hermione asked. "Have you found him yet?"

"No we haven't yet, Miss Granger. "McGonagall answered. "But that does lead me, in a way, to the reason for my visit. Headmaster Dumbledore feels that it might be better for you to join the Weasleys earlier than planned."

"But what about my parents, Professor?"

"The Headmaster will most likely have Order members check in on your parents as well as few Aurors," McGonagall replied, then turned to Hermione's parents. "Unless you would like to join your daughter for the time being."

"They could come!" Hermione eagerly asked.

"I'm sure that it would be fine with the Headmaster," McGonagall said, directing a questioning glance at the elder Grangers.

"But what about our practice?" Mrs. Granger asked, fretfully.

Mr. Granger placed a comforting arm around his wife's shoulders and looked to his daughter. "Why don't you go upstairs and pack your trunk, darling, while we discuss this with your Professor."

"Okay Dad," Hermione replied and flitted up the stairs.

Once in her room, Hermione sat down on her bed with a heavy sigh, She was happy to be going to the Weasleys again but at the same time she was worried about Harry. Ever since receiving Ron's letter about what Harry had written and then hearing from Professor Dumbledore about the events that happened at the Dursleys, Hermione's emotions had spiked and fell like a rollercoaster ride. At times she was furious at Harry for taking such a foolhardy action but mostly, she was worried about her friend. Wondering where he was, if he was hurt, if he was still alive. That last part always hurt her the most.

But now was not the time to get melancholy, she needed to pack her books and clothes. She opened her trunk, noting that even though she had been home for a week, she had only unpacked her school books. Everything else was still neatly stored in her trunk. It was as if she knew that she would not be staying long with her parents. Her parents.

_Hopefully they will be able to come along, _she thought to herself as she bent over to pick her books up off the bed._ Mr. Weasley shouldn't be around to much to drive them insane and they've always said that they wanted to learn more about the Wizarding World._

"Hermione…."

Hermione's head shot up at the sound of her name but there was no one in her room besides herself. _Where did that come from. Maybe it was just my imagination but I could've sworn that sounded like-_

Any more thoughts were interrupted by a dazzling flash of red light, accompanied by the sound of something falling onto her floor. She moved off her bed, grabbed her wand from under her pillow and held it out in front of her as she visually searched her room. There was no sign of where that flash of light and her floor was empty. She glanced at her window on the other side of her bed, wondering if maybe the light had come from outside her house. Hermione went to look out her window but as soon as she turned around the corner of her bed, her foot collided with something unseen an she fell onto the floor.

"Miss Granger?"

Hermione looked up from she was sitting on the floor to find her Transfiguration teacher standing in her doorway with her wand drawn. Standing behind her was her parents.

"Are you hurt, honey?" Mrs. Granger asked

"I'm fine, Mum." Hermione answered.

"What happened up here," McGonagall queried, her eyes scanning the room. "I felt an intense burst of magic from downstairs."

"I do not know Professor," Hermione responded. "I was picking up my books when I heard someone say my name and then there was a flash of red light."

"How did you end up on your floor?"

"Well I was going to check my window to see if anyone was outside when I tripped on something right there," Hermione trailed off as she pointed to the area just beyond where her feet were. Hermione tentatively pushed her foot out and came into contact with something warm and soft. "Wait a minute, there is something there. Whatever it is, it must be invisible." Hermione carefully reached out a hand to it.

"Don't touch it, Miss Granger," McGonagall stressed. "We have no idea what it could be."

Hermione ignored McGonagall and placed her hand on the object. Suddenly she felt an odd tingling run up her arm, across her back and up to the back of her head. Once that was happened, the object she was touching slowly became visible, revealing a body of a man lying face-down on her floor. The startled gasps behind her told Hermione that her parents and Professor McGonagall could now see him also. Whoever the man was, his clothes were shredded and the skin underneath that could be seen, were covered in cuts and bruises.. Hermione gently pushed the man onto his back and gasped sharply at the familiar face.

"Professor McGonagall!" Hermione shouted, shifting slightly on her knees to look up at her teacher. "It's Harry!"

* * *

tbc...


	4. Chapter Three

Spoilers: All five books will be touched on through out the story.

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. In other words; Don't want them. Don't need them. Couldn't afforded them if I did.

Author's note: I hit a major stumbling block on this so hopefully this chap came out alright, although I reserve the right to rewrite it in the future if it needs being done.

**Chapter Three**

**"ALBUS DUMBLEDORE!"**

That familiar voice echoed throughout the Headmaster's office, causing several objects on the desk to rattle around. Dumbledore set down the large scroll that he had been reading, calmly rose from his chair and walked over to his fireplace. Once there, he came face to face with a very shocked looking Minerva McGonagall. Remembering that he had sent her to the Granger's home, he silently steeled himself to receive whatever the bad news was that had his Transfiguration teacher so upset.

"Yes Professor, what has happened? Are the Grangers all right?"

"Albus, Harry Potter's back!"

"What?!" Dumbledore exclaimed in a mixture of disbelief and relief. "Where is he? Are you still at the Grangers?"

"No, we're here at Hogwarts, in the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey is examining him right now."

"Poppy's examining him?" Dumbledore asked. "Is he hurt?"

"He's..." she trailed off for a moment, her visage becoming slightly troubled. "It might be better if you were to see him yourself."

And then McGonagall disappeared from the fire, leaving a worried Headmaster to quickly throw a pinch of floo powder into the fireplace before stepping into the flames. What greeted him upon arriving was nothing short of pandemonium. He could see Pomfrey hovering over a hospital bed that he assumed contained Harry, in the far corner. Surprisingly Hermione Granger was sitting in a chair next to the bed.

Separating the three people from the rest was a shimmering wall of magic that Dumbledore knew was normally used at St. Murgos to quarantine patients that had an infectious disease. That alone caused the Headmaster to pause for a moment, especially since Ms. Granger was there also. Closer to where he had entered, half the Weasley clan were being held at bay by a clearly frustrated McGonagall. Ronald and Ginerva Weasley was demanding to see their friends while their mother was demanding to know what had happened. Mr. Weasley stood silently behind his wife along with Remus. Near the corner of the room was Snape, Tonks, and Mad-eye Moody. Once Albus was certain that no one else was in the room. He announced his presence.

"How is Harry, Minerva?"

"Oh you're here, Headmaster," McGonagall said in relief. "Poppy is looking at him now."

Dumbledore shot a look at the school's healer before turning to everyone that was present.

"Please calm down. I'm sure that everything that can be done, is being done. Besides, the last thing we want to do is make Madam Pomfrey's job harder by getting in her way," Dumbledore paused before what can only be described as a mischievous look appeared on his face. "Now, please excuse me while I see if I can get in her way."

With that said, Dumbledore turned and began walking in the direction of Harry's bed. The others just stared at the Headmaster's back as he passed through the protective field and played a tiny prank on Madam Pomfrey by tapping on her left shoulder while darting out of sight, to her right. Everyone knew that the last couple of weeks had been hard on the aged Wizard, especially after Harry had disappeared from his relative's home. Most were happy that Harry had been found, but to see the normally reserved, if a bit loony, Headmaster acting like one of the Weasley twins brought a small smile to everyone's face, that is except for Snape, who continued to stare balefully at the boy on the bed.

"Please don't do that, Headmaster!" Pomfrey squawked indignantly, causing Hermione to clap a hand to her mouth in effort not to giggle.

"My apologizes, Poppy," Dumbledore replied before looking at Harry, briefly taking note of the various scrapes and cuts on his skin. "Will there be any problems with his wounds?"

Pomfrey snorted. "Of course not, he will heal just fine." Then she lowered her voice. "What I want to know is what exactly happened to change Mr. Potter so."

"What do you mean 'change'?" Dumbledore asked carefully.

"Look at him, Albus!" she whispered harshly. "Look closely."

Dumbledore did as the school nurse asked, and that was when it hit him. If one were to disregard the numerous minor injuries and the tattered clothes, Harry did indeed look slightly different from the teen that left Hogwarts at the end of term. The boy appeared to be a little bigger, both in height and body mass. His hair, though as unruly as ever, was also longer by several inches. Harry's skin was also noticeably darker, as if he had spent long periods of time in the sun.

Dumbledore glanced from Pomfrey to Hermione who was sitting next to the bed, holding one of Harry's hands in one of her own. The younger girl's eye were full of unshed tears for her friend. Dumbledore had many questions to ask her about Harry's arrival at her home but decided that it might be best to postpone them for the moment. Turning his attention back to Pomfrey, he nodded his understanding and motioned with a sweep of his hand over Harry's body for her to continue.

"Well let's start with his injuries," Pomfrey huffed. "Most of the visible ones are recent, the scrapes and cuts on his arms and face. But some of the scars are, at the very least, two weeks old and I know for a fact that Mr. Potter was in good general health when he left for home only less than a week ago.

"He is also currently suffering from some kind of viral infection and judging by his temperature, he is running a very high fever. Also from what I can tell, Mr. Potter has been exposed to large amounts of an unknown type of energy."

"Is whatever infection Harry has, contagious?"

Pomfrey shook her head. "I've checked and whatever it is, it's not airborne. Also the only one who has had physical contact with him is Ms. Granger," she answered, pointing to the girl sitting by the bed. "I have kept her separated from the others and checked her thoroughly. The tests that I performed return clean results. She is as healthy as she was at the end of term."

"Then why do you still have the quarantine ward up, Poppy?" Dumbledore asked.

Madam Pomfrey grimaced. "Truthfully, to keep everyone out from under foot and let me do my job." She then waved her wand dismissively at the field and canceled the spell.

Dumbledore nodded and then moved onto his next question, "What about this energy that he was exposed to? You said that it's not known to you."

"Truly," Pomfrey breathed. "I have never encountered this type before."

"It's not nuclear radiation, is it?" Hermione hesitantly asked, drawing the attention of the two faculty members. She had stayed quiet during the talk of the possibility of infection but when Pomfrey had mentioned that she did not recognize the energy affecting Harry, she had to speak up. Nuclear energy was the only thing her mind could grasp as an energy that Pomfrey might not be familiar with, and that possibility frightened her.

"Dear heavens child, no," Pomfrey exclaimed. "Why would you think that?"

"Because you just said that you didn't recognize what the energy was that Harry had been exposed to," Hermione explained.

"Ms Granger," Pomfrey shook her head slightly in disapproval. "I'm not only quite aware of what radiation poisoning is but I'm also deeply disappointed to see that you, of all people, would automatically assume that since I am a witch that I would not know a thing about the muggle world."

Hermione looked down, feeling a sliver of shame deep inside. Her eyes settled on the one hand of hers that was holding Harry's. "I apologize Madam Pomfrey, I know that I should not have assumed that. It's just that-"

"I understand child," Pomfrey cut her off with a gentle smile. "I realize that you are worried for Mr. Potter and one tends to jump to quick conclusions when one's worried,

"Then what is it about the energy that you don't recognize?" Hermione asked looking up, determined to help.

"Well," Pomfrey threw the headmaster a questioning look to which he answered with a nod. "I guess, now that I think about it, it's not so much the energy itself but what it is doing that makes it so hard to identify."

"What it's doing?" Hermione asked.

"The easiest way to describe it is that it's moving fast," Pomfrey replied. "Too fast to be normal."

"How do you know this?" Hermione asked, worried.

"By his aura," Dumbledore replied instead. "Observe. _**Aural Aperio**__."_

As the words left Dumbledore's lips, the room lit up with a dazzling display of light. Ignoring the cries of alarm coming from the Weasleys, Hermione squinted in an effort to see Harry through the swirling colors that surrounded him.

"My apologies," Dumbledore mumbled, waving a hand over Harry. Instantly, the intensity of light that had enveloped Harry lessened, leaving everyone feeling slightly entranced from the dazzling display of colors.

"What was that?" Mrs. Weasley demanded.

Dumbledore looked up, not surprised to find the Weasley Matriarch standing behind him. "My apologies, Molly. I made Harry's aura visible to let Hermione observe it."

"That was Harry's aura?!" exclaimed Mrs. Weasley, as her eyebrows threatened to climb into her hair. "Albus, you can't be serious. There is no possible way that that blinding light was a person's aura, much less Harry's."

"Why is that, Mum?" Ginny asked, appearing next to her mother.

"Because dear," Mrs. Weasley explained. "A person's aura is more of a soft glow that surrounds the body."

"Not necessarily Molly," Dumbledore interrupted. "A Witch or Wizard's aura is tied to their power. The brighter the aura, the stronger the magic at his or her command is."

"But Headmaster, an aura is primarily made up two colors or even three in some cases," Pomfrey stated before motioning to her unconscious patient with a swing of her arm. "Mr. Potter's seemed to contain the entire spectrum of light."

"So what does this mean for Harry?" Hermione wondered.

"That is a very important question, Miss Granger," Dumbledore answered solemnly. "One that will need to be answered as soon as possible."

Before more could be said, a soft moan could be heard coming from the bed. Immediately Hermione shifted in her seat and leaned close to her friend.

"Harry?"

* * *

Harry slowly made the steep climb into consciousness. For him, it seemed like it took forever to wake up. First, there was the sensation of warmth followed by the feeling of being covered up. His right hand was especially warm. As he felt air move across his face, sounds gradually began to filter in from the darkness surrounding him.

"...his wounds.."

"...unknown energy..."

"...weeks old..."

"...no possible..."

"...does this mean..."

The words meant little to him beyond the fact that they were interrupting his sleep. Opening his eyes a fraction, Harry was assaulted by a bright light that made his eyes feel like they were on fire. Moaning a little, Harry tried to move away from the offending light.

"Harry?"

"Wha.." Harry slurred, eyes narrowed into a squint for protection against the bright light that seemed intent on blinding him. He concentrated on his eyes and the light slowly dimmed, leaving a blurry image of someone standing over him. Fear seized him and Harry tried to get away, only to find himself stuck fast to where he laid. The instinctual Fight or Flight response gripped him and since escape seemed impossible, that left only fight.

"Stop, Harry! You'll only hurt yourself more!"

Harry felt the familiar surge of adrenalin race through his system and then he lashed out with his magic. He heard what sounded like a high pitched squeak followed by a dull thud. Harry did not pay too much attention to the sounds since he still could not move, so he formed an image in his head of his magic covering his entire body like a second skin. Then using both his muscles and magic in tandem, he began physically fighting for his freedom. He struggled for a couple of seconds until he felt the oppressive pressure that held him, lighten just a little, and then his right arm came loose.

'YES!' Harry shouted internally and then threw everything he had left into breaking free. It worked spectacularly as there was a bright flash of light and then he felt himself rolling off whatever he was laying on fell gracefully into a crouch.

Harry gave his head a hard shake to clear out the cobwebs and then his vision cleared up. That was when he noticed the multiple beds and cabinets filled with various bottles one would find in a Wizarding hospital.

"Hospital?" The relief that he felt when he recognized his exact surroundings dwarfed all other emotion. That same relief faded abruptly, leaving him simmering in a cold rage when Harry heard a familiar voice speak his name. His head snapped up and locked eyes with Dumbledore.

"You!"

* * *

Dumbledore was in shock as he watched events play out that should have been impossible. After hearing Harry moan, he and Poppy had come closer to the bed even as Hermione was leaning over her friend. The moment Harry opened his eyes, Dumbledore immediately recognized the look of fear in them. Without a second thought, he cast a restraining spell on his student.

Then when Harry found that he could not move, his magic pulsed. That was the only way for Dumbledore could describe it. Subconsciously, Harry's magic forcefully pushed Hermione from his bedside, hurling the poor girl into the far wall. That done, Harry's magic then expanded to visibly envelope his body and began to tear apart the spell holding him to the bed. Once he was free, Harry then rolled over the side of the bed and instinctively fell into a crouched position on the floor.

"Harry?"

Dumbledore was a bit startled by the look of pure hatred that radiated from Harry's eyes. Unconsciously, he reached out to Harry with his Legilimency. The moment contact was made, he felt suddenly ill. Almost nauseous. Then to Dumbledore's overwhelming shock, and not a little fear, he watched as the boy's eyes began changing. Although the color of Harry's eyes remained their emerald green color, the normally round pupils elongated vertically, becoming slit-like much like a snake's.

"You!"

Before Dumbledore could respond, Harry's form suddenly blurred and disappeared. Without any warning, he soon found himself shoved painfully back up against the stone wall with Harry's hand around his neck. The Headmaster was too stunned to defend himself properly.

"Why did you leave me there?" Harry demanded.

"Harry, I-" Dumbledore gasped.

"WHY!"

"Let him go, Mr. Potter!" McGonagall shouted as she rushed up behind him and tried to pull him away.

Harry shot a quick look over his shoulder and snarled at the older woman. Then with one hand still holding Dumbledore, Harry twisted violently and backhanded McGonagall with his other hand. The strike to the side of her head was hard enough to send her stumbling backwards and crashing into a bed.

Suddenly. Harry released his hold on the Headmaster and fell down onto one knee, groaned deeply as he clutched at his chest. Madam Pomfrey immediately rushed to his side, along with Molly Weasley and her children, but were forced back as Harry's magic pulsed once again. This time, even the beds and tables were roughly shoved away causing several to become overturned. Even Dumbledore felt the effects as his entire body was pushed up against the unrelenting stone wall. Harry panted heavily a few seconds, rubbing his chest with one hand, before he shakily stood up.

"_**Stupefy!**_" Snape growled.

Harry grunted from the impact of the spell, stumbling forward into the wall next to Dumbledore. Everyone held their breath, waiting for him to fall to the floor. Much to their surprise, Harry pushed away from the wall slightly, keeping one hand on the wall and turned sideways. He looked at Snape with a look of anger and contempt.

"Is that the best you can do, you pathetic arse?"

Snape swore and launched another stunner with as much power as he could muster. Harry reacted quickly by grabbing Dumbledore by the front of his robes, pulling the man away from the wall next to him and into the path of the oncoming spell. The elder Wizard's eyes widened in surprise for a second, before rolling upwards when the stunner hit him squarely in the back. Harry then let the dazed Headmaster fall to his knees and charged directly at Snape. He quickly crossed the short distance before the Potions Professor could cast another spell.

Just as Harry closed the distance between them, he lowered his body and planted his shoulder deep into Snape's mid-section, knocking the wind out of him. Both wizards continued backwards until they smashed into the wall behind them. Snape's head bounced hard against the stonework, knocking him unconscious. Harry was also jarred by the impact but was able to keep his wits about him since Snape's body cushioned him from the worst of it.

Harry backed away slowly, letting Snape's body slide down the wall and onto the floor. The young Wizard paused for a moment to consider his next action but was jarred out of his thoughts when he found himself being tackled to the floor.

"Stop this insanity, Harry!" Remus growled into his ear, letting Harry know who exactly was holding him. "Stop now before you kill someone."

The werewolf had snaked his arms under Harry's and twisted up and around the back of his neck, effectively pinning him to the floor in a wrestling move that the muggles call a full-nelson. Remus then wrapped his legs around Harry's waist before shifting over onto his back, exposing them to the others.

"Let me go, Remus!"

"So you can attack Dumbledore again? Or kill Snape? No, I don't think so," Remus struggled to hold on. "Calm down! I'm not letting go, and you know that you will have to seriously hurt me before I do."

Harry struggled briefly within the werewolf's grasp but was unable to get enough leverage to break the hold he was in. The lingering pain in his chest and the pressure on his shoulders and neck was just enough of a distraction to keep Harry from concentrating on using his magic, leaving him with just his normal human strength. Without his magic to fuel his strength, Harry was forced to give up.

"Fine," Harry sighed, turning his head to the side. He watched as Tonks pulled Dumbledore to his feet. The Weasley children were being held back by their parents, well most of them were. He could see that Ron was trying to steady a seemingly dazed Hermione.

"What happened to Hermione?" Harry asked.

"You happened, Harry," Ron responded coolly, as he helped the unstable Hermione to a chair.

Before Harry could ask Ron what he meant, a gravelly voice spoke up. "You can release him now Lupin."

Remus hesitated for a moment before releasing Harry, allowing the younger Wizard to stand up.

"Now Potter," Moody watched as the boy turned to him. He could easily see all of the impossible physical changes that Harry had somehow gone through. The boy was indeed a few inches taller and more muscular than he remembered seeing just a few days prior. "Assuming that you are actually him. Why did you attack Dumbledore?"

Harry glared at the recovering Dumbledore for a second before answering.

"Why not?"

"Damn it, boy," Moody growled, raising his wand. "I want an answer!"

"Be careful, Alistor. Everyone stay back," Dumbledore weakly spoke. "He-"

"Doesn't care what you want," Harry cut in. "Now where is my wand?"

"That I cannot tell you," Dumbledore answered. "Not at least until I know for sure that you are not under a foreign influence."

"A foreign influence?" Harry wondered for a second before understanding came to him. "You think that I'm being possessed by Voldemort?"

Most in the room flinched when he mentioned that name, which only served to irritate Harry even more. He snorted once in disgust and then turned back to Dumbledore.

"And how did your addled mind deduce that I am possessed?"

Dumbledore moved from Tonks and straightened up. He then walked towards Harry, noting for a moment that Severus was still unconscious behind the teenager.

"My suspicions grow from this towering anger that you are experiencing and the fact that your eyes changed after you first woke up," Dumbledore answered, sounding stronger with each step he took. "They became slitted, much like a snake's."

"First off, my eyes have not changed," Harry stated, stepping right up to the Headmaster. "Check for yourself. Are they different?"

Dumbledore studied those eyes closely, and then tried to probe deeper but was forced to stop as he started to once more feel nauseous. Finally closed his eyes and sighed. "No."

"Speaking of your eyes, Harry" Remus spoke. "How is it that you are apparently able to see clearly without your glasses?"

Harry threw another dark scowl at Dumbledore before turning to study Remus for a moment, debating on whether or not to answer. Finally he decided that he really did not want to alienate the last close link to his parents and Sirius.

"Truthfully I don't know exactly how for sure." he said with a small shrug. "All I know is that my magic somehow fixed my eyesight."

"How is that possible? Why-"

"I don't know the how," Harry cut Remus off, turning back to Dumbledore with a look of disgust on his face. "As far as the why, it probably was due to the fact that someone didn't give me my glasses when he left me alone to fend for myself." Harry shook his head and looked at the others. "Now where is my wand?"

"I'm afraid," Remus paused briefly to clear his throat. "that it is gone."

"What?" Harry barked. "What do you mean, 'gone'?"

"What he means Mr. Potter," an icy voice spoke up. Harry looked up at the cold expression on McGonagall's slightly bloodied face. "is that your wand has been destroyed."

Harry stared at the Professor for a moment in shock before throwing his hands up in the air. "That's just great!" he shouted, ignoring the Head of his house as if she didn't matter. Then Harry turned back and nailed Dumbledore with a piercing glare. "Not only did you drop me onto that god forsaken island, all by myself no less, but you then destroy my only means to defend myself against Voldemort, and you."

That left everyone stunned except for Moody who asked, "What are you prattling on about, Potter. You went home with your relatives. I was there, along with Tonks and Lupin."

"Bullocks!" Harry shouted then winced, wrapping his right arm around his chest and under his left arm. He took a deep breathe before continuing. "The last thing I remember before waking up on that hellish island was leaving Dumbledore's office after trashing it. I did not go to my relative's home."

"But you did, Harry," Dumbledore defended. "Once the term was over, you joined your friends on the train and was picked up by your relatives afterwards."

"Do not lie to me!" Harry shouted, his temper starting to flare up once more. When a hand settled onto his shoulder, Harry turned around fully intending to cut loose on who he expected to be Remus or Moody. Who he found instead though was a slightly ruffled looking Hermione. His anger deflated some when he saw her unsteady look and the rather large scrape on her forehead and left cheek. Ron was standing behind her, appearing ready to pull her away to safety if needed.

"I do not know what is going on Harry," Hermione softly spoke. "But I will swear to you, on my magic if need be, that you did go with your relatives after we left the train."

"But that's not possible," Harry said, more to himself than to the others. "I don't remember.." he trailed off, absently rubbing his chest

"Mr. Potter," Madam Pomfrey said, drawing his attention to where she was examining Snape. "Are you in pain?"

"When am I not?" Harry answered dryly.

"Yes well, besides the obvious," Pomfrey said unperturbed, "does your chest hurt?"

"It's nothing," Harry grunted.

"I believe that I'll be the one to decide if it is nothing or not, Mr. Potter." Madam Pomfrey stated with authority, marching over to Harry.

Harry stared at Pomfrey for a few seconds before finally deciding to let her examine him. Madam Pomfrey nodded and then started asking him about how he felt, where did it hurt, how long did it hurt, and so forth. After a couple of minutes, Pomfrey stood up.

"Please stay where you are," Pomfrey asked Harry. "I need to check a couple of references."

Harry nodded his assent and the Head Nurse left through an open door that led to her office. Once she was gone, Harry closed his eyes, ignoring everyone else in the room. He began searching his memories for what could offer any type of explanation for his current situation. Harry went over what he remembered from the last time he was

"I believe that I now understand," Pomfrey stated as she walked out of her office. "From what you have told me, added to your belief that you were on an island. The only conclusion that I can come up with that fits the criteria, is that you are suffering from what is called the Bornholm disease by muggles, more often called the 'Devil's Grip'.

Hermione looked up sharply, "Is it fatal?"

"No Ms. Granger," Pomfrey shook her head. "The person afflicted will suffer from headaches, fever, and bouts of sharp thoracic pain. It's because of that pain that the disease is called the Devil's Grip. It is supposed to feel as if something was gripping your ribcage and squeezing, which I'm sure that Mr. Potter can attest to."

Harry nodded absently, though his thoughts were elsewhere.

Pomfrey then turned to Dumbledore. "Even though cases of this illness are not unheard of in northern latitudes, it is more prevalent in tropical regions, say an island for instance. Is there something you wish to tell us, Headmaster?"

Dumbledore pulled out his wand. "I swear on my magic that I did not take Harry Potter to an island and leave him there."

Harry stared dumbfounded as the magical oath took effect, leaving Dumbledore unharmed. Proving that Dumbledore was telling the truth about not having a hand in Harry's dilemma. Harry then turned away from the Headmaster and nervously ran a hand through his hair.

"What the bloody hell happened to me then?"

tbc...


End file.
